Just before we got to Heathrow International Airport, our route took us off the M4 and onto the M25 (think 635 in DFW) so we could bypass downtown London. However nearly as soon as we entered onto the M25 the skies opened up again and traffic slowed to a crawl. After nearly 25 minutes of rain and a distance of about five miles, our pace slowly began to pick up and we made it out of the London Metro area about 40 minutes later. After another half hour we pulled into Dover at around 9:30 PM and found our waterfront hotel awaiting us.
During my search for accommodations online I had found a Best Western in Dover that boasted waterfront views and a central location for right around £70 per night. The hotel’s location certainly didn’t disappoint and from the pier in front of the hotel we could clearly see Dover Castle towering atop the White Cliffs above us. After checking in we went up to our room only to discover that it must have been designed by Antoni Gaudi. Not a single wall in the room was straight and after a cursory look neither of us could find a 90-degree corner in the room. The floor felt as if we were walking amongst the waves traveling from crest to trough as we moved around the room and the ceiling was three different heights. Altogether a weird sensation that took on a certain charm when you consider the age of the building.
Seagulls awoke us early Saturday morning and we decided to get started with our tour of the surrounding area. Dover’s waterfront is guarded by a harbor of refuge which consists of two long piers (Admiralty pier which creates the westerly boarder and the Eastern Arm makes up the eastern boarder) and the Southern Breakwater which are all built of concrete blocks weighing in at 30 to 40 tons and lined with granite on the outside. Currently only the eastern end of the harbor is being utilized for cross channel shipping leaving the western half of the harbor open to public boating and swimming. As we strolled along the pier we were amazed to see dozens of locals out for a morning swim in the harbor in waters that couldn’t have been more than 50°.
Once we reached the end of our walk along the pier we started inland to find a path that would lead us to Dover Castle. We didn’t have to walk far until we found a winding road that took us up yet another steep hill (we never seem to walk downhill in this country) and brought us to the gates of Dover Castle. The grounds around the Castle are impressive.
When we first entered the grounds we came upon a couple of guided tours that took us into the cliffs below the castle and learned about the history of the tunnels and the role they played in guarding England from invasion as well as serving as an operational center during WWII for evacuation efforts during Germany’s Blitz across western Europe in the opening stages of the war.
After our guided tours had ended we made our way around the grounds towards the castle itself. Outside the Castle walls a band of pirates in full regalia had set up shop and were providing entertainment for young and old alike with tales of adventure on the high seas and endless wealth to be made capturing merchant ships transporting tea around the world. Apparently, back in the day tea was more valuable than gold as a trade commodity and so most pirates were more interested in it than treasure.
We finally entered the castle around 11:30 and wandered through the maze of corridors that made up this 12th century fortress built by King Henry II. Climbing the circular stairs of one of the towers clasping to the hand rail that was added sometime several hundred years after it was first constructed I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like traversing those steps in chainmail and armor without the benefit of a proper handrail. To say that it would have been hazardous is a serious understatement. Atop the stairs we accessed the roof of the castle were we were afforded breathtaking views of the city of Dover directly to the west and the straights of Dover the south and east.
Having spent a little more than an hour invading King Henry’s keep we decided it was time to move on to our next objective of the day.
Lunch.
On our way out of the castle we came across this Trebuchet guarding the northern entrance of the castle. An impressive piece of siege warfare technology.
After walking back downhill (finally we get to go down!) we got in the car and made our way to Terlingham Vinyard in Folkstone just down the road from Dover for a tour and wine tasting. Since we hadn’t had anything to eat yet we decided to head into to Folkstone for lunch first. We drove through the town and came across The Little Switzerland caravan sight and cliff top restaurant promising the best views in town. As we turned down the lane and made our way through what was essentially an English KOA camp my hopes for a decent lunch began to dwindle. When we reached the end of the road however the views were magnificent and the lunch was decent.
We left little Switzerland and drove back toward Terlingham Vinyard where my first experience with English wines awaited. The vineyard lies amongst the rolling hills a few miles from the coast with impressive views of Folkstone below.
It’s a family run vineyard that has been producing mostly sparkling varieties since 2008-09 and is the smallest vineyard in the UK that boasts its own winery. Right at 3 acres in size they manage to produce nearly 15,000 bottles of wine per year, several of which are award winning wines. Our favorite was the White Cliffs 2010. I also quite enjoyed walking through the vines.
Once we finished our tour and tasting we made our way to our final stop of the day. The Battle of Britain Memorial overlooks the channel and commemorates those who fought the Luftwaffe for air supremacy over the channel and England itself. The site immediately brings to mind the Vietnam Memorial in DC with its polished granite face that reflects your appearance as you read the names of the fallen etched in stone as if you are among them in a solitary and solemn moment of remembrance. It is a touching monument to “The Few” who defended so many.
Upon our return to Dover we made our way to one of the local pubs for nice warm meal and local watching before we turned in for the night.
Sunday we got moving and found breakfast at a café in the main shopping district a short walk from our hotel. We are really getting into scones with cream and hot chocolate for breakfast. Interestingly though, in the west where we live the cream is very thick & rich (Devon Clotted Cream) in Dover both places were more of a whipped light cream. For the record, clotted cream is better, but it didn't slow either of down from eating scones here.
From there, we made our way just to the other side of Dover where we took a self guided tour of Crabble Corn Mill. The mill was built in 1812 and still operates creating specialty grains. The five story facility is kept in the same condition it would have been seen shortly before it closed down in the 1890’s. The tour was interesting and near the end one of the miller’s who was working on some of the equipment directed us past the rope barricades to show us how they maintained the mill stones. (I have a feeling they don’t get many visitors & he was excited just to have someone to talk to.)
From Crabble Corn Mill we made our way to the Dover Cliffs. Since the park entrance is only a few miles outside the city, Amanda had planned for us to spend the rest of the day there exploring the cliffs. After finding a place to park we swung through the visitor center to get our bearings and made our way to the trails. The main trail departs from the car park and ends two miles away at the South Foreland Lighthouse which has guided tours throughout the day. Since Amanda is fascinated by lighthouse’s that is the route we chose.
After hiking about half a mile the weather began to look rather ominous so we decided to head back to the visitor center for lunch while we let the storms pass. After another cup of hot chocolate and a shared Kentish Rarebit (toasted bread topped with English mustard and melted cheddar cheese) the rain had stopped and we made our way down the trail again. On a side note, Amanda is very proud that she ‘sniffed out the rain’ before we got wet. She says we’re starting to get the hang of this country. I think we may have just gotten lucky.
Like everywhere else in the UK, the land above the White Cliffs is remarkably hilly. The path is only two miles long yet it took us more than an hour to reach the lighthouse, we however were not hiking with any great speed either. The tour of the lighthouse wasn’t as interesting to me as it was Amanda but I certainly could appreciate the view.
We took our time as we walked back to the car looking for the perfect picture of the cliffs and we finally found a shot we think works.
Sunday night, we had dinner at an Italian restaurant a few hundred yards from the hotel where I had one of the best salmon dishes ever. If you ever find yourself in Dover I highly recommend il Rustico Ristorante. The staff was a little overwhelmed due to being understaffed. Only two waiters handling the entire restaurant, but our food was amazing. On our walk back to the hotel we tried to get a picture of Dover Castle at night but the battery on our camera had died earlier in the day and my phone just doesn’t take very good pictures as witnessed below.
Monday was the summer bank holiday and we spent the day traveling from Dover to Canterbury and then back to Bristol. On the way to Canterbury, Amanda found another small vineyard that offered a tour and tasting lead by one of the co-owners. We arrived at the three acre Barnsole Vineyard and found the owner plying his trade in the fields. He started his tour by telling us a little about how he and his brother operate the vineyard and why the decided to take up winemaking at retirement. Apparently, they aren’t very good at golf. At the end of the tour which took us from vine to fermentation to bottling to aging and finally distribution we got to taste the fruits of their labor. Our favorite wine from Barnsole was the 2009 Dry Medium which won a Bronze medal for UK wine of the year. Funny enough, a bottle mysteriously found its way into our car as well (after Amanda paid for it).
With bottle in hand, we left Barnsole and made our way to Canterbury. Famously remembered for the unfortunate execution of Thomas Becket and Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” Canterbury appears as the quintessential English town. The shopping district of the city is completely devoid of vehicular traffic which is probably a good thing considering the narrow streets manage to feel crowded regardless. Before making our way to the Cathedral where Thomas Becket was slain, we ventured down a few cozy side streets until we found lunch at bakery tucked into the historic buildings that line the walkways.
Having finished lunch we made our way to the Cathedral. It has been in place since 597AD when Pope Gregory the Great sent St Augustine to establish a seat in Canterbury. Over the centuries the Cathedral has been rebuilt, expanded and repaired numerous times to the point where it appears as a hodgepodge of architectural design throughout. Within the Cathedral are several tombs of former Archbishops and Royalty alike including the Tomb of Henry IV and his second wife Joan of Navarre.
From Canterbury Cathedral it’s a short walk to the ruins of a Norman Castle started by William the Conquer around 1070. All that remains of the castle is the outer shell but it is possible to climb the circular stair in one of the towers. Never a very prominent castle due to larger facilities built at Dover it was primarily used as a prison by the 1300’s and was condemned as a ruin by the 17th century. Even though there is not much left to see it does provide a glimpse into the construction techniques of the time. Even more odd to us was the fact that they built a 1970's apartment building not 20 yards from the 1070's Castle.
For a short excursion (and an exceedingly long blog post) Dover was a great trip. The attrations were interesting and well worth a few days visit.
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